Endovenous Laser Therapy for Varicose Veins · What causes varicose veins? Varicose veins occur...

Preview:

Citation preview

Endovenous Laser Therapy for Varicose Veins

Q AAbout Varicose Veins

&

A non-surgical alternative to vein stripping

• Nosurgicalincisions

• Immediateambulation

• Nohospitalization Before After

What are varicose veins?

Varicoseveinsarethelarge,“rope-like”veinswhichareoftenone-quarterinchorlargerindiameter.

What causes varicose veins?

Varicoseveinsoccurwhentheveinisnotfunctioningproperlytoreturnbloodfromthelowerlegtotheheart.Eachveinhasaseriesofvalvesthatopentoallowtheflowofbloodtotheheart,andclosetopreventbackflow(otherwiseknownas“reflux”)ofbloodbackintothefoot.Thewallsandvalvesofveinsarethinandelastic,andcanstretchduetoavarietyofconditionsincludingpregnancy,heredityandage.

How common are varicose veins?

Approximatelyhalfofthepopulationhassomeformofvenousdisease,andvaricoseveinsaffectaboutoneoutoftwopeopleage50andolder,and15-25%ofalladults.

How successful is endovenous laser therapy?

Clinicalresultshavebeenpublishedwhichdocumentthesuccessofendovenouslasertreatment.Likeanymedicaltreatment,however,endovenouslasertherapyhascertainriskswhichyourphysicianwillexplaintoyouastheyapplytoyourindividualcase.

What should I do after the procedure?

Afterendovenouslasertherapy,agauzepadandtapewillbeplacedoverthepuncturesiteandacompressionstockingorcompressionbandagewillbeplacedonyourleg.Youareencouragedtoimmediatelywalkfollowingtheprocedureandresumenormalactivities.However,duringthetwoweeksfollowingyourprocedureyoushouldavoidswimming,vigorousgymworkouts,hotbathsorexcessivesun.

Yourphysicianwillprovidecustomizedinstructionsforyoutoobservefollowingyourendovenouslasertherapy,includinghowlongtowearacompressionstocking.Ifyouhaveanyquestions,askyourphysician.

What should I expect after the procedure?

Youshouldexpecttoseesomebruisingalongthetreatmentsiteastheveindisappears,whichisnormalandshouldgraduallygoawaywithinamonth.Youalsomayfeelsometenderness,tingling,itchingortightnessinyourtreatedlegduringthetwoweeksfollowingtheprocedure.Ifyouexperiencesignificantpain,orhavebleedingofthetreatedleg,contactyourphysicianpromptly.

How can I get more information on varicose veins?

Moreinformationonthecausesandtreatmentsofvaricoseveinscanbefoundatwww.treatveins.com.Asalways,forinformationonyourspecificcondition,askyourphysician.

How does endovenous laser therapy work?

Previously,treatmentofpainful,swollenvaricoseveinsrequiredasurgicalprocedurecalledveinstripping,wheretheveinwascompletelyremovedfromtheleg.Morerecently,endovenouslasertherapyhasbeendevelopedtotreatchronicvenousinsufficiencybydeliveringlaserenergythroughasmallpunctureinthelegtoclosethediseasedvein.

Withendovenouslasertherapy,nosurgeryisrequired,andtheentireprocedurecanbeperformedinlessthanonehourinyourphysician’soffice.Duringtheprocedure,youareawakeandyourlegisanesthetized.Athinlaserfiberisinsertedintothegreatersaphenousveininyourthigh.Yourphysicianthenwilldeliverlaserenergythroughthefiberandintothevein,causingtheveintoclose.

Why is the laser fiber placed in the thigh, when the varicose veins are located below the knee?

Bulgingvaricoseveinsinthelowerlegusuallyarecausedbyafaultyvalvelocatedhigherinthelegthatcan’tbeseenatthesurface.Theendovenouslasertherapytreatsthesourceoftheproblem,whichthencausesthevaricoseveininthelowerlegtoshrinkanddisappear.

Is the loss of the vein a problem?

No.Becausetherearemanyveinsintheleg,thebloodthatwouldhaveflowedthroughtheclosedveinsimplyflowsthroughotherhealthyveinsafterthelasertherapy.

Is endovenous laser therapy painful?

Althoughindividualresponsesvary,mostpeoplereportlittletonopainassociatedwithendovenouslasertherapy.Oftentheonlysensationisfeltduringthedeliveryofanesthetictotheleg.Aftertheprocedureyoumayfeelsometenderness,tingling,itchingortightnessinthetreatedleg,whichshoulddisappearwithinamonth.

PleaseseetheVari-LaseendovenouslaserprocedurekitInstructions for Useforacompletelistingoftheindications,contraindications,warningsandprecautions.

©2011VascularSolutions,Inc.Allrightsreserved.ML1226Rev.C08/11

Cypress Heart & Vascular CenterFadi Alameddine, MD, FACC, FSCAI21212 Northwest Freeway, POB II, Suite 325Cypress, TX 77429

832-688-8400

Recommended